*Why Pits Collapse *The Killings and Disasters *A State Rich in Minerals but Rattled by Disasters and Insecurity By Golok Nanmwa JOS — Plateau State is richly endowed with mineral resources, with mining sites scattered across rural communities where generations have depended on the industry for their livelihoods. Mining activities in the state are believed to have commenced in 1902, making Plateau one of Nigeria’s historic mining frontiers because of its vast deposits of tin and columbite. But more than a century after mining began, the mineral wealth that promised prosperity is increasingly leaving behind a darker legacy: Abandoned pits, environmental degradation, illegal mining, insecurity and recurring deaths. For miners operating in poorly regulated sites, danger can come from beneath their feet. It can also come from armed men. Mining, once regarded as a pathway to wealth and survival, is increasingly becoming a deadly gamble, with fear and agony replacing the promise of income. The latest tragedy occurred on Wednesday evening, August 12, 2026, when seven miners were killed after a mining pit collapsed in Kassa community, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. The victims were mining at about 7 p.m. when the earth caved in. Residents rushed to the site, but the seven were eventually found dead. For survivors, the tragedy unfolded with terrifying suddenness. Nehemiah Bot, one of the survivors, said he was outside and close to the pit when the ground collapsed. “I was outside, close to the collapsed pit, when we suddenly heard a sound and the ground caved in,” he said. Bot said he and other miners immediately raised the alarm after realising that some of their colleagues were trapped. “We raised an alarm immediately because we knew that people were inside the pit,” he said. Residents and other miners joined the rescue operation, using available tools to remove soil and debris. Another survivor, Francis Haruna, said he and others were outside when they suddenly heard the earth collapsing. “We were outside, close to the pit, when we suddenly heard the sound. We immediately raised an alarm and called for help,” he said. Haruna said rescuers worked amid panic as relatives gathered, hoping for survivors. But the effort ended in grief. For artisanal miner Peter Jerry Fulus, however, the risks remain inseparable from survival. Fulus, who said he had spent 10 years mining, told Vanguard that miners know the dangers but are compelled to continue because mining remains one of the few available sources of income. “We are aware of the dangers, but we have to feed and survive,” he said. Fulus said mining remained profitable and that the prospect of finding valuable minerals continued to attract youths. Another miner, Joseph Nyam, said walking away from mining could mean losing the income needed to feed families, pay rent and support children. “We understand the risk involved, but we believe that God would continue to protect us,” he said. The Killings and Disasters The Kassa tragedy is only the latest in a succession of mining-related deaths in Plateau. The incidents show that miners are caught between unstable pits, explosions, illegal operations and armed attackers. On August 12, 2026, seven miners were killed when a mining pit collapsed at about 7 p.m. in Kassa, Barkin Ladi. The deaths came just six weeks after three people were killed by attackers at the Nyango/Gyere mining site on June 30, 2026. Before then, five youths were killed when gunmen attacked a mining site in Gero Village, Gyel District, on June 16, 2026. Earlier, on January 22, 2026, seven miners were shot and killed at an illegal mining site in Kuru, Jos South, leaving their families in grief. Before that incident, no fewer than 12 miners were killed by suspected militants at Ratoso Fan in Barkin Ladi, while four people died after a mining site collapsed in Dura. In November 2024, 13 young people were killed when an artisanal mining site collapsed on them in Bassa. The list is long, and so are the tears left behind by each tragedy. A State Rich in Minerals but Rattled by Disasters and Insecurity Plateau’s mineral wealth extends far beyond tin and columbite. Other deposits include tantalite, wolfram, kaolin, granite, marble, gypsum, quartz, barite, lead, zinc, iron ore, coal, clay, pyrochlore, monazite and fluorite. The state also has emerald, tourmaline, topaz, amethyst and zircon. Across Bassa, Jos South, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos, Mangu and Wase Local Government Areas, artisanal and small-scale mining provides income for thousands, particularly youths, in communities where formal employment is limited. However,
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